Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Apex Ketamine Therapy

Ketamine Infusion Specialist located in Glenwood Springs, CO

More than 3.3 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder each year, and many struggle to respond to traditional treatments. There is hope. New research into an old medication suggests that ketamine can help. That's why the experienced health care providers at Apex Ketamine Therapy in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, have dedicated their state-of-the-art clinic to the safe administration of ketamine infusion therapy. This innovative treatment has been shown to improve the symptoms of bipolar depression far quicker than traditional therapies. To learn more, call or schedule an appointment online.

Bipolar Disorder Treatment Q & A

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder—also known as manic-depressive disorder—is a mental health condition characterized by dramatic mood changes, ranging from extreme highs (mania) to severe depression and sadness. During a manic episode, you may feel extremely energetic, even invincible.

These episodes can often cause insomnia, poor decision making, and an inability to think clearly. A depressive episode, on the other hand, often leads to severe sadness, depression, or a sense of hopelessness.

If you suffer from bipolar disorder, you may experience:

Depression

Paranoia

Rapid weight loss or weight gain

Irritability

Anger

Euphoria

Trouble concentrating

Mood swings

Anxiety

Loss of interest

While bipolar disorder hasn’t directly been linked to genetics, most medical experts agree that it tends to run in families. If you’re experiencing one or more of the above bipolar disorder symptoms and have a familial connection to this condition, talk to your doctor right away.

How is bipolar disorder typically treated?

Like most mood conditions, physicians typically treat bipolar disorder with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—a type of therapy designed to restructure the way you think and behave—and medication.

Depending on your bipolar disorder symptoms, a psychiatrist often prescribes one or more of the following medications:

Antipsychotics

Mood stabilizers

Antidepressant-antipsychotics

Anti-anxiety medications

Antidepressants

While these treatments can be effective in minimizing some of your bipolar symptoms, they often take weeks or months to take effect. Finding the right bipolar medication for you also comes with a lot of trial and error. Some bipolar medication side effects include severe depression and suicidal thoughts.

How does ketamine infusion therapy treat bipolar disorder?

Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic for adults and humans for more than 40 years, but it has recently been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms when administered intravenously—through an IV—in low doses.

While it’s not currently known exactly why ketamine works so effectively to treat bipolar depression, medical experts believe it blocks the NMDA receptors in your brain and activates your AMPA receptors, which affect your cognitive patterns, mood, and thoughts.

Many patients report improvement in as little as one treatment, but results vary so the experts at Apex Ketamine Therapy will work closely with you to design the best program for you. How many treatments you need depends entirely on your unique symptoms.

Ketamine infusion therapy is an innovative treatment for patients who haven’t responded well to traditional bipolar disorder therapies. To learn more about the innovative effects of ketamine infusion therapy, call Apex Ketamine Therapy or book an appointment online.